Evermore
by Alter Ego X
Summary: now there is only one unhatched dragon egg. but what happens when a young thief steals the egg right from under Galbatorix's nose and it hatches for her? will she use the powers of a Rider for her own means, or will she join Eragon and Saphira?
1. A Thief and an Egg

Hi all! I am an aspiring novelist and wanted to sort of test the waters with some fanfics. I had started developing this plot before I even read Eldest. I love it but be sure to comment or I won't add any more! And if Christopher Paolini reads this, I think this would be a great premise for the third book!

Has anyone else noticed that there are no female Riders mentioned in the books. Female dragons, yes, but not Riders. That sort of irritated me and this story kinda grew out of that. Enjoy!!!

I do not own any characters, places, etc. in this story except those not found in either Eragon or Eldest. The plot line is entirely mine. So don't try to copycat it!!!

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This was the biggest, most dangerous theft of her life. If she can pull this off, she will be remembered as the best thief Alagaësia has ever seen; if not she will be the most foolish. She had planned out every minute detail. She only had to wait for the opportunity.

Just like the past 4 days, she walked to the gate, dressed as a scullery maid, displaying obvious humbleness and fear. The guards barely glanced at her. She easily blended in with other kitchen help arriving for an honest day's work in probably the most dishonest place in Alagaësia.

She preformed various kitchen duties so as not to arouse suspicion. When the head cook bellowed for someone to fetch a certain bottle of wine from the cellar, she quickly accepted the job and left. This was it! Time to make history! They wouldn't even think about sending someone else until her real job was done.

She reached the stairs, but instead of descending to the cellars she climbed the stairs to the second floor. Once there she listened intently for sounds of nearby soldiers, or worse, Galbatorix himself.

"What are you doing?" a voice asked. She turned around to see a young man coming down the hallway toward her. She was surprised for a very brief moment – man, this guy was stealthy – but kept her composure and reacted as any kitchen maid would.

"Oh, Rider Murtagh, your grace, um, your honor, your excellency? Oh," she curtsied at each title, acting incredibly flustered and worried.

"Stop you sniveling, girl, and answer my question."

"Sorry, your grace," curtsey again, "your excellency," and again, "I jus' delivered a tray o' food to some o' the guards an' go' distracted comin' back," she used the street accent she had perfected along with others over the years, "sir." She made one last curtsey, keeping her eyes lowered.

He took a step closer and glared down at her. She was pretty sure he wouldn't bother magically examining the mind of such a mouse of a maid as she was pretending to be, but just in case she kept up her mental mask. This was a tool developed and carefully guarded by professional master rogues. Luckily, she had studied many tricks of the trade, including the mask, from an aged master rogue who saw potential in her. The mental mask essentially covered up one's true identity and intensions with that of an established persona, so anyone scanning the person's mind would read the fake identity as the true one.

"Well, get back to the kitchen, girl!" he commanded after a few moments.

"Yes, sir, at once, sir!" she quickly said and hurried down the stairs. Halfway down the staircase she paused using a trick to continue the sound of feet scurrying down the stairs and toward the kitchen.

She waited for several minutes, listening for the telltale sounds of being followed or of anyone else nearby. Silence.

She inched up the staircase as soon as she was sure Galbatorix's minion had left. Encountering him again would mean certain death. Even with her bagful of tricks, she couldn't hope to beat a Rider.

No one on the second floor. She continues up to the third. Again, no one in sight. She moved down one hallway until she came across the door she wanted.

Slipping inside the small storeroom, she examined her surroundings. Shelves were lined up against three of the four walls and were full of all sorts of things.

She pulled up her skirt and unfastened the packs strapped to the inside of her legs. She then quickly and quietly undressed and bond her chest flat with cloth from one of the packs. From the other pack she pulled out a page's livery and put it on. Lastly she took off her maid's bonnet, revealing short, black, bowl-cut hair. As a page, she would have free run of the palace, since pages often carry messages and run errands.

She buried her packs and unneeded clothes into the pile of cloth she assumed was the laundry.

Standing at the door for a whole minute, she listened for footsteps. Nothing. She exited the storeroom and walked down the hallway toward the most heavily guarded part of the whole palace.

She had subtely inquired as to the contents of this hall a month before entering the palace. Rooms with all kinds of treasures filled this section; offices held important documents, letters, and information, along with the usual silver, gold and priceless jewels. She didn't know what she would take yet, but she would know when she saw it.

Several guards regularly patrolled the area, but this set had been up all night and so they were tired. The ones awake enough to notice her paid little attention as she passed.

She pretended that she was about to enter a room as the only guard within sight turned the corner, then she walked several steps to her right to another door. A bookkeeper with roving eyes had hinted about a priceless treasure hidden behind it.

She mumbled a reveal spell her master had taught her that first week. Many of her tricks were thief spells her master had collected over his lifetime.

The spell showed her both a shielding spell and a locking spell on the door. _This is too easy_, she thought.

But it wasn't as easy as she thought. The shield spell was strong. Using as much energy as she dared, she slowly moved it with a bypass spell to where it protected a blank space of wall.

Now for the lock. She had a special way with locks and had always been able to unlock anything, even before her apprenticeship. Smirking, she simply snapped her fingers in front of the keyhole and a soft click sounded.

She slid into the room and quietly closed the door behind her. On the far wall hung the banner of Galbatorix, along the other two walls were tables with black chests upon them.

She used the reveal spell again to make sure there were no traps. Two of the chests had locking spells on them that were stronger than the door's.

"Losna." The latches on both chests released at her command. She opened the lid of the nearest one to find the severed head of an elf looking up at her. She jumped back in shock.

_Galbatorix is mad!_ She thought as she resealed the chest. Moving to the second box she braced herself for another disgusting prize. Instead she found a large amber stone about the length of her forearm. The stone had a short of metallic sheen to it that made her think of a large lump of copper or bronze.

This'll fetch a hefty sum, she thought as she lifted it from the velvet lining. The stone was much lighter than she had thought. She set her loot on the table, reached into her tunic and pulled out a long, blue-black raven feather, placing it where the stone had lain only a moment before.

The stone was too big to just carry out unnoticed so she murmured an illusion spell often used by thieves who steal highly recognizable items. The stone was now a scroll, which no one would question a page carrying. Resealing the box, she moved to the door. In a few minutes the guards would be replaced with new, well rested guards.

No footsteps outside. Quickly she exited the room, closed and locked the door, and moved the shield spell back to it's original position. She was sure not to meet up any soldiers as she left the guarded area.

She reached the stairs and hurried down and outside, regulating her speed so any who saw would automatically assume she was on urgent business rather then fleeing.

Finding a stable boy dozing in the warm stable yard, she executed the next step of the plan.

"Wake up!" the boy toppled off the hay bale where he had perched. Once his attention was completely on her she said "I have an urgent message for the governor of Gil'ead! Saddle a horse, quickly!" putting just enough command in her voice to get the point across.

Waiting for the boy to return with a horse, she pictured the fame she would get from this theft. She would sell it to her usual buyer before Galbatroix discovered his loss. Once word got out of such a treasure escaping from right under the king's nose, her buyer would return it, probably for a large reward, and spread the word that the Raven pulled off the greatest heist in history! People would sing of her daring for centuries!

Within ten minutes the horse was ready. It was a beautiful roan stallion with neatly trimmed mane and equipped with shiny new tack.

Without even a thank you, she mounted and urged the steed in to a gallop. She headed to the north, as to give credit to her story. Once out of sight of the city, she would head toward Dras-Leona.

As night fell, Raven stopped by the river. A gentle glow floated on the dark horizon; all that could be seen of the city's lights. She built a fire on the north side of a large stone, to protect it from both the evening wind and the curious city eyes.

Once the fire was at a decent height she laid out her bedroll, setting her pack with the still illusioned stone within arms reach.

After eating a meager dinner of dry biscuit and salt pork, she settled into sleep.

A soft rustling woke her up. Keeping her eyes closed, she shifted, as if still asleep, until her hand was but a hair's breadth away from the knife she always kept under her head. She waited, motionless for the sound. There! It was close.

Immediately she whipped out the knife and rolled into a crouching position in one fluid movement. Her eyes glided across the landscape, but saw no threat. That rustling again. It was coming from her pack.

She assumed a rat had found it's way into her food. She lifted the knife, ready to stab the creature within.

Suddenly the flap opened and a copper shape rolled out. Four stubby legs separated from each other and stuck themselves into the air. a spiked tail fell to the ground and a long neck lifted the small head attached to it. Two big, gold orbs stared at her curious.

This was definitely not a rat. This was a baby dragon.

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So, what do you guys and girls think so far? Be sure to comment! Otherwise I won't continue (and I really want to : P )


	2. The Last Dragon

Okay, first of all, there have been 46 views of chapter 1 but only 5 reviews. come on people! I don't care if you totally bash my story, just review. I want to know what you guys (and girls) think, how I can improve my writing. if you like it, hate it, don't understand it, whatever, review! Like with the first chapter, I will not update until I get a decent number of reviews(probably just 5). I'm not trying to be mean, I just want to know people are actually READING my fanfic.

Now then, I do not own Eragon, Saphira, Alagaesia, etc. Christopher Paolini does, I only own the characters, places, and plot not found in the books. but if Chris were to read this fanfic, I don't mind him using this premise for the third book.(just mention me in the acknowledgements)

ENJOY!!!

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For a moment, neither moved. As far as Raven knew, Galbatorix and his apprentice, Murtagh, controlled the last of the dragons. She had heard rumors in the underbelly of Urû'baen of a Dragon and its Rider joining the Varden in rebellion against the powerful king. But, like all rumors, she dismissed it until she had hard proof. This kept her from focusing on common hear-say and gossip instead of important news. When she thought about it, though, if Galbatorix had one dragon egg, which had hatched for Murtagh within the last year, it made sense that he had another just waiting for its Rider.

The baby dragon now flipped itself right side up and turned to stare intently at the thief. She lowered her small blade slightly, but remained ready to defend herself. Dragons were uncharted territory to her after all.

For a moment she simply admired the beauty of the creature's shiny copper scales. Cautiously, she reached out with her left hand to pet the small creature.

The dragon took a slightly unsteady step forward and craned its neck forward to sniff the proffered hand.

Faster than Raven could react, the hatchling bit the outside edge of her palm. A pain ripped through her arm. She fell backwards as the world blacked out around her.

When consciousness returned, Raven noted an uncomfortable weight on her chest. She opened her eyes just enough to see the copper scaled face not an inch from her own. A groan escaped her lips.

"Get off." She shoved the dragon off her chest and sat up, steadying her head.

"You had better not have poisoned me, ya winged rat!" she said as she examined the wound. The dragon come up and nipped at her pants leg. Raven's hand swatted the small mouth away.

"I'm not food. If you're hungry go find your own food." The dragon obediently ran off into the trees.

"If you're not back when I'm ready to leave, I'm not coming after you!" she began repacking her modest encampment. She, like any normal person, thought the baby dragon was cute, but in her line of work, it doesn't matter how cute something is, but rather how much it is worth. If she tried to sell the baby dragon, though, she would definitely be caught.

Opening the pack, she pulled out the remains of that beautiful shell; now just jagged shards, they, too, were worthless. Intending to grind them to indistinguishable dust she set the pieces on the ground and stepped on the largest with the heel of her boot. Lifting her foot, she saw that the eggshell was still intact. She stomped down hard and twisted her heel on the amber shard.

Raven stomped on it, banged it against a rock, even took her knife to it, stabbing repeatedly. Her only results were a broken knife and a very much intact dragon egg shard.

Maybe these can be useful after all. She dug through the pile selecting two almost identical shards, and peeled the sticky membrane from the insides. She then placed the now clean insides together, lining up the edges as well as possible.

"Merge," she commanded in the Ancient Language. A talented washerwoman had taught that spell to her master; very useful for patching clothes.

The two shards appeared to meld together forming an amber blade. Picking up her ruined knife, she gripped the handle in one hand and the blade in the other.

"Losna," the blade slipped out of the handle's hold. She picked up the eggshell blade and, using the merge spell, replaced the broken steel. The new blade wasn't very sharp, but Raven was sure that she could get a smith in Dras-Leona to sharpen the edges. Or maybe the dragon could by chewing on them. It definitely had the teeth for it.

She laid the knife across her fingers, examining her work. The shell blade fit into the handle as if they were made together.

She noticed an odd silver mark on her left hand. It was oval shaped but with small silver tendrils reaching from the oval to the dragon bit. The tendrils weren't as bright as the oval, almost as if they lay under the skin. Raven groaned.

She fished out a long, white strip of cloth from her pack and began wrapping her left hand with it. Collecting the rest of the eggshell pieces, she folded them neatly within a spare piece of cloth.

Just as she finished packing up, the baby dragon returned, a small bird disappearing into its mouth.

"Didn't want to be left behind, huh?" the dragon simply stared up at her. The thief squatted and looked back in those golden eyes.

"Well, come on," she reached out to pick up the copper creature when the dragon reached out to nip at her fingers. The fingers retreated before the sharp teeth closed on them.

"None of that! You bite me again and you'll regret it!" she said pointing a finger at the dragon. Either not understanding or not caring, the dragon lunged for the appendage.

Raven pulled it back, placed her middle finger under her thumb, and flicked at the scaly nose. It didn't make contact, but a small spark of electricity traveled from the tip of her finger to the tip of the dragon's nose.

The hatchling recoiled and rubbed its sore snout with one of its little claws.

"Ha, that should teach you1 now come here." she scooped her new companion up before it could object. It squirmed until she dropped it into the saddle bag, causing the horse to nicker in protest. The thief calmed her steed, and then went to push the small scaled head down into the bag. Another attempt at tasting her flesh and another spark to the nose. The dragon grumbled a complaint.

"I sure hope you haven't developed a taste for human flesh," she mumbled, "Behave yourself and I won't do that." When the dragon looked back up at her, Raven caught a glimmer of mischief similar to the one that often shone in her own blue-grey eyes. _This thing is gonna be trouble_, she thought.

"Stay," she commanded in the ancient language, just in case the copper imp got any ideas. She buckled the flap of the pack, mounted the steed and headed out at a full gallop.

They followed the river, stopping for the night directly east of Dras-Leona.

Throughout the day, Raven had felt felling drift across her mind. At first irritation and boredom pressed against her mind, then hunger around midday, though she wasn't hungry. She had figured that since Riders and their Dragons needed to communicate and they didn't always speak out loud, they must have another way to communicate; she suspected that this was it.

She quickly set up camp, grabbed a bar of soap and her normal clothes, and walked far enough downstream that the soap wouldn't contaminate the water she intended to drink.

Finding a section with decent depth, she stripped off the pages livery, unbound her chest and waded into the river. The current wasn't very strong so she didn't have to constantly swim upstream to stay with her things on the shore.

After finishing a relaxing bath, she rubbed as much water from her body as possible, rebound her chest, but not as tightly, and put on the blue-black clothes of The Raven. Pulling a braid of hair that matched her own perfectly, she held it up against her own short hair.

"Merge," she commanded. The braided hair intertwined itself with the living hair so that it matched perfectly. If any suspected her of stealing the egg now would be disappointed. No one would believe that someone could grow hair that fast. The braid wouldn't release until she commanded "release," so if someone felt inclined to check for a wig, they would be fooled.

She gathered the soap and the livery and headed back to camp.

Everything was a mess. Her bedroll was rumpled with several long, thin gashes in it; the wood she had gathered for a fire was strewn everywhere; and half of her food was now crumbs. The horse would have bolted it hadn't been tied to a tree. In the middle of the mess a copper ball lay on its back, belly close to bursting.

"'Ey! You little…" the thief proceeded to use some of the foulest street talk she knew. The dragon rolled over as fast as it could, which with a full belly wasn't very fast, and tried to hide in the saddle bags. The roan, still uncomfortable around a dragon, shied away from the sharp claws and fangs. Several sparks caught the dragon's hide before it could reach safety.

Raven grabbed the scaly tail and lifted the dragon attached to it. The hatchling definitely wasn't as light as before. She glared angrily into those mischievous gold orbs.

"Listen, you. I'm a thief, so I don't take kindly to being stole from." She tried to enforce the message mentally. "I'm low on funds, and you were supposed to pay for a months worth of food and lodging. But now I have to make a theft in Dras-Leona before I starve. And since you've eaten half of my supplies, I have to ration out what's left so I don't run out before we reach the city!" she sighed, released the hatchling and dropped to sit on the ground.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, dragon," she said, absently stroking the angled head with her finger. A sorry feeling touched her mind. She looked down into sad, sorry eyes.

"Oh, no," she pushed the dragon away, "I know what you're trying to do. You're not fooling me." The dragon's lip curled into what she interpreted as an impish grin. She reached into her pack and pulled out the eggshell knife.

"Here, make yourself useful." She dropped it in front of the dragon and got up to clean the campsite before it got too dark.

As she kicked the logs back into a circle, a sort of warble sounded behind her. She turned. The dragon sat looking up at her curiously.

"I need it sharpened and you may be the only one who can even dent that stuff." The dragon looked down at the blade, cocked its head to the side, then gripped it in its teeth.

"Just be sure it's still usable as a knife when you're done." Raven continued cleaning.

By twilight, the camp was cleaned, a steady fire blazed in the ring of stones, and Raven was mending her bedroll. The hatchling trotted over and dropped the knife from its mouth to the ground next to its guardian. Setting down her work, Raven examined the knife. Both edges and the tip were sharp. She lightly touched the tip of her finger to the tip of the blade. The finger came away with a drop of blood forming on it. Mentally communicating her approval, she smiled at her companion. When it bounded off into the thicket, she returned to sewing up the cuts in her bedroll.

In a few minutes, there was a rustle in the undergrowth. The thief dropped her sewing and grabbed her knife. The light from the fire burned across the amber shell-blade. Another rustle, this time closer. A small shape bounded into the camp. It was the hatchling carrying a limp rabbit in its jaws.

The prize was dropped at her feet and the little hunter sat, scaled tail twitching proudly.

"Thanks." The thief picked up the rabbit and, using her now sharp knife, began to skin and gut it. "A good thief always repays his debts," she quoted a lesson her master had drilled into her.

Once the meat was well cooked, Raven tore into the warm flesh, savoring the freshness. When she noticed her companion looking longingly at the meat, she pulled off a fat leg and gave it to the dragon. A feeling of pride and satisfaction touched her mind. She replied with thanks, petting the dragon while its mouth was otherwise occupied.

After dinner, Raven fed the fire just enough wood to keep it alive through the night, and lay down on her half-repaired bedroll to sleep. In a moment, a hard, warm body pressed against her, curling into a ball. A soft humming emanated from the little throat. Raven draped an arm over the cat-sized form and, smiling, drifted to sleep.

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Isn't the dragon a cutie? I just wanna grab it up and hug it to death(you'll find out more about the dragon in the next chapter). Okay, now you have a mission to complete. REVIEW!!! Please...it helps me. and stay tuned for chapter 3!


	3. What's in a Name?

Hi again! A big thanks to everyone who reviewed! I didn't think I would get so many reviews so fast! As always, I only own anything not already in the books, and Christopher Paolini is welcome to my ideas. Enjoy!

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Raven woke just as the sky reached the dusky grey-blue of early morning. Listening for a moment, she detected no threats nearby, but it never hurts to be cautious. Rolling onto her back she stretched then turned back to her companion. Aside from her, the bedroll was empty.

She leapt up and looked around. The stallion calmly ate some moist grass, but the dragon was nowhere to be seen. Raven reached out with her mind, searching for the creature.

The dragon was not far off, filling its stomach with a couple of squirrels and a field mouse. The thief inwardly sighed with relief. Although the dragon had been unexpected, she was happy to have some company. And their strange mental link was oddly comforting.

She ate a biscuit and some cheese for her own breakfast and began to pack up. When she was about halfway finished, the copper hatchling returned, bloated belly sagging pitifully. It sat in the middle of the camp and watched.

"Don't just sit there you lazy lizard, help. You can start by hiding any evidence of your time here. I expect it would go worse for me if Galbatorix found out that you hatched."

Once everything was ready to go, Raven took the waterskins to the river and filled them. She then drank one dry and told the dragon to drink as much as it could. This way they could save the waterskins for the next day, when they wouldn't have the river to drink from. Refilling the skins, she repacked them and mounted the stallion.

"Come on." She held open the saddlebag while the dragon just sat and stared. Through their link, it mentally communicated the desire to not stay in the uncomfortable pouch.

"Alright," she patted the space in front of her in the saddle. The copper imp chirped and flew to the spot, causing the horse to nicker and stamp nervously.

Raven sent calming images to her steed, followed by the mental message _The little monster isn't going away, so you might as well get used to it_. The horse whickered a complaint then was silent. She nudged the horse eastward.

"I guess I should give you a name, since I can't keep calling you Dragon," raven said about 20 minutes into the journey. The winged creature chirped.

"And I suppose you want something more than just Copper, right?" an affirmative warble.

"How about Cloud? It's nice and simple." The dragon snorted, sending a puff of smoke into the air.

"Alright, how about…Orin? It has a nice ring to it." a sound of disgust left the dragon's mouth.

"Okay," Raven laughed, "nothing so dignified for you, little trouble-maker." For the next half-hour, name after name was suggested and discarded. Raven even suggested Rogue and Nimbleclaw, but none would satisfy the dragon.

"I knew a puppy once who was like you; eh would bite anything and everything. Everyone called him Niptooth." The baby dragon shook his head vigorously.

"Of course, a dog's name wouldn't do for a dragon, but if we change it a little bit…how does Nipwing sound?" He chirped and launched himself into the air.

"Get back here!" the thief commanded as Nipwing finished his second lap around the nervous horse, "you'll attract unwanted attention." He landed back on his perch, chirping proudly.

"Yes, you do fly beautifully. But if anyone comes within sight, you go into the saddlebag and stay _quiet_." Nipwing growled his displeasure, which was rather cute coming from such a little dragon.

"No complaints! 'A good thief leaves no trace or sign,'" she quoted her master, "Now hang on." She urged the horse into a gallop, wanting to cover as much distance as possible before dark.

Two uneventful days later, they passed through the gates of Dras-Leona. A cloak covered Raven's recognizable clothes, keeping watching eyes from identifying her later. Nipwing tried to peek his head out of the saddlebag, but was quickly shoved back down and mentally told to stay hidden.

They soon reached the Lakeview Inn. It had been a long time since she stayed here, longer than any other lodging in the city. She rotated between lodging to keep from becoming familiar to the innkeepers.

Removing her luggage, she left the horse with the inn's hostler. Since entering the city, Raven had put on a Mental Mask; now, as she stepped into the inn, the Mask was put to use.

"Excuse me," Raven said to a barmaid with an armful of dishes, "I need a room." She used a maid's accent, proper but not noble.

"Ye need t' talk t' th' mistress, over there." The barmaid nodded in the direction of a stout woman directing the handful of workers who criss-crossed the common room. Thanking the girl, Raven carefully maneuvered across the room.

"Pardon me, madam," the landlady turned angrily at the intruder for a moment, but when she saw the saddlebags and pack, her face softened. "I need a room."

"Well, of course you do, dearie!" she guided Raven over to the end of the empty bar, "jus' for tonight?" she pulled out a slate with chalk squares on it. Most had one or two lines, but some were empty.

"Well, I don't know how long I'll need to stay, but business should keep me in town at least a few days." She dug out the purse that held the few coins she had.

"And what business would that be?" the woman asked in a kind, conversing way.

"My master asked that I see to it that certain items were attained as soon as possible." In a way it was the truth; she was her own master and she needed to get money and supplies.

"Oh, well if you need anything, don't be afraid to ask, alright dearie?"

"Thank you, I will. Now is it alright if I pay for two nights upfront?"

"Not a problem at all." A line was drawn in an empty box, "will ye be wantin' a bath and supper?"

"Yes, please." Raven wouldn't have asked for a bath, it was a waste of the little money she had, in her opinion. But it might cause suspicion if a maid who had just traveled who knows how far didn't ask for one.

"That'll be 5 coppers for the room, 1 for the bath, and 2 for the supper, 8 in total." Raven counted out the coins and was shown to her room on the second floor.

Once the woman left, the thief dropped her things on the bed. An indignant squeak sounded from the saddlebag.

Nipwing stuck his head out and glared at the girl. When she showed no reaction, the small dragon crawled out from the bag and turned to chew on it.

"No!" she yanked on the tail and sent a particularly large spark at the dragon's face. "I can't afford to replace this stuff. Go find a rat to gnaw on." Instead of obeying, Nipwing curled up in a ball and sulked.

Raven grabbed the saddlebags and pack and placed them neatly in the corner so that Nipwing could crawl inside.

"If someone comes to the room, hide in there." She knew that he already understood what to do, but she said it anyway. Nipwing snorted.

It wasn't long before the bath was brought up. Two boys carried the empty tub between them. A muscular young man followed right behind with four buckets of steaming water. The buckets were hung on handles that held 2 each.

Once they were gone, Raven undressed before the water got cold. Nipwing whistled playfully as she stepped into the tub.

"Shut up." The water felt good. She sat there for a moment, letting the warmth relax her muscles. Taking a deep breath, she ducked under the water. The pounding silence was calming. She opened her eyes and stared at the wavering ceiling.

A small angled head peeked over the edge of the tub. Nipwing stuck his head in the water and snorted, sending smoke-filled bubbles to the surface.

Raven's breath was released in an underwater laugh as she rose to the surface.

"You silly creature! If you're not careful, you'll stick that curious muzzle into something that bites back." Nipwing made a sound that sounded sort of like a scoff.

As soon as the bath water began to cool, Raven dried off and dressed in plain clothes. She had intended to go see her buyer after dinner, but decided to wait until she had another treasure to replace the missing one from the palace. The buyer would be upset when he found out that he can't have the royal prize. If she didn't find what she needed over dinner, she would sneak out to choose her unlucky victim. The Raven never just grabbed whatever she saw; she strategized, eliminating anyone the theft would seriously hurt, disregarding family heirlooms and dowries, waiting for the perfect opportunity.

The girl glanced down at the ring she always wore on her right index finger. It was all she had left of the parents she couldn't remember. She had grown up on the street, often teased and kicked around because of her looks. She had always been fair looking, and the slight point of her ears brought many cruel comments. She had learned to steal at a tender age on those hard streets. Her only real treasures had been a small silver chain with a rectangle pendant and the ring. The pendant was inscribed with runes on both sides. When she was 10 years old, her master taught her to read and write; he had explained that the pendant's runes spelled her birth name, in Common(1) on one side, and in the Ancient Language on the other.

Since she had been too young to remember her parents when they gave her the gifts, they held no memories of her mother and father; but even so, she couldn't bring herself to rob another of their memories by stealing their heirlooms.

While she waited for dinnertime, the thief stood in the middle of the room and stretched. She leaned to each side, the front and the back, methodically working her way through each of the most used muscles. Nipwing sat, watching with rapt attention.

After a few minutes, the young dragon moved to the thief's side. He stuck one leg out in front of him and another behind. Holding the pose for a moment, he switched legs.

"You want to be a thief, too, eh?" Raven asked, continuing her stretches, "'A thief must stay limber and agile.'" Nipwing chirped and changed position, now stretching out his neck as far as it would reach. Raven chuckled. Together they limbered their limbs to their limits.

As soon as the noise in the common room below signaled the beginning of the dinner rush, Raven straightened and moved to the door.

"I'll bring back some meat for you. But only if you behave." She reassured the dragon. She closed and locked the door behind her, then headed down for fresh food and fresh gossip.

She picked out a small empty table against the wall and sat down. From here she could hear all but the quietest conversations while not attracting undue attention.

Ordering a simple meat stew, she listened intently to what was being said around her. Instead of alternating between each conversation, she listened for certain words, then focused on the speakers.

Fewer products are being sent from Teirm than during her last visit. That will have hurt several of her potential targets.

A nobleman's son was robbed coming home from a pub a few nights age. She made it a rule never to add insult to injury.

She listened for about 20 minutes, calmly eating her stew, before she heard the tidbit she wanted.

A well known merchant just received a large shipment of silk. With all that valuable material in his warehouse, he could afford a small donation to The Raven.

"This stew is delicious," she said to a passing barmaid, "could you send another bowl to my room, please?"

"Right away, miss." Raven finished her own bowl and climbed the stairs to her room. Unlocking the door, she stepped inside. Nipwing lay in the middle of the floor with his back to the door.

The thief closed the door, nearly slamming it, and approached the hatchling. Standing over him, she saw that he was chewing on a dead rat.

She grabbed the rat, pulling the copper armored face up as it eyed the stolen dinner.

"You're supposed to hide when someone comes!" the dragon made a face, which she interpreted as "yeah, and?"

She let out a frustrated groan, and walked to the pile of bags.

"Get in there, now!" Nipwing could tell she was serious, so he went to his hiding place without complaint.

"Take your rat, too." She kicked the small corpse toward the corner where it was pulled through the bag's opening.

A few moments later, there was a knock at the door. Raven answered, smiled at the maid, and took the stew.

"Here." she set the bowl in front of the bags. A copper nose peeked out of the pile of leather, sniffing. It wasn't long before every scrap of food was gone from the bowl.

After placing the bowl outside the door, Raven dressed for work. Once she had donned her blue-black outfit and a matching mask that covered the lower half of her face, she stepped up to the window.

"I'll be back by morning. Don't make any noise, and hide if anyone comes. Alright?" Nipwing curled up on the bed with a playful "have fun" look on his face.

"I mean it. If you're found, we're both in trouble." With that The Raven climbed out the window.

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(1) I couldn't find what the human language is called in the books so I just called it Common like some other fantasy novels do.

I hope you liked it! It might take me a little longer to finish chapter 4, but don't worry, it'll be posted as soon as I'm done! Now don't forget to review! Thanks.


	4. The Heist

Wow...finally the chapter is done. This turned out to be the longest yet, and you don't know how hard its been to keep from writing Nipwing's thoughts before he's old enough.

As always, I don't own anything that is in Christopher Paolini's books, only everything else.

Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Your support has been overwhelming! Enjoy!!!

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Noiselessly, she made her way across the rooftops toward the wealthy section of the city. She had memorized the inhabitants of every fancy house and kept track of the ups and downs of their wealth. Most she had never stolen from, but tonight's target usually had a run of good luck before her visits. This will be the sixth time she's stolen from him, which is rather dangerous. The more times a thief steals from someone, the more likely it is to get caught.

As expected, the merchant had increased his security; but whether because of her last visit or because his newly increased wealth, she didn't know. The number of guards had increased from two to six, and three new dogs slumbered along the side of the house.

The heist will be tricky, but if luck smiled on her, she could pull it off.

She didn't expect an opportunity to arise until later that night, so she lay down on the merchant's roof and, making herself as comfortable as possible, dozed.

She woke an hour before midnight. Much of the sky was covered by clouds, and the quarter moon allowed her good night vision while hiding the dark figure from the guards' sight. It was a perfect time to explore.

She slowly and carefully maneuvered her legs over the edge of the roof and dropped a few feet onto a small balcony. The rich loved balconies and wide windowsills. It made it that much easier to climb to an open window.

Unfortunately, this window wasn't open. It was latched shut from the inside. Latches are trickier than locks. With locks, you only need to move one piece of the mechanism, and you're in; the entire latch has to be moved to unlock it. Latches also made more noise than locks.

Moving between balconies and windowsills, she made her way around the perimeter of the house. Every door and window was latched shut; some were locked as well.

Back on the first balcony, she sat down. Closing her eyes, she listened. Her master used to make her sit and listen for hours at a time; she became very good at it

The most prominent sound in the immediate area was the shuffling of the guards as they made their rounds, and the snuffling snores of the sleeping dogs.

Five hours later, the servants woke in their quarters on the first floor. They yawned and stretched, and headed out to start the morning's work. They tried to be quiet so their master wouldn't be awoken, but they weren't silent enough to hide from The Raven.

In a moment, a series of clicks signaled an opportunity. The maids were opening the hall windows to let in the warm morning air.

Remaining as still as possible, Raven glanced over at the nearest open window. The maid leaned on the sill and took a deep breath before she returned to her duties.

Making sure the guards weren't looking in her direction, the thief climbed onto the windowsill. The hallway was empty. She snuck down the hall toward where she knew the merchant's personal chambers were.

She reached the chambers and stepped inside. Luckily the maid had already restarted the fire; there would be no disturbances for a time.

The merchant had a fondness for jewels and always kept a small stash of the most beautiful in his chambers. Unfortunately, he moved the stash every month or so.

She checked the most likely place first, a carved wooden box which held his day jewelry. No jewel stash. Not even secret compartment. She silently and methodically searched the room. If she didn't find it soon, she would have to come back the next night.

But Lady Luck chose to smile on her. The stash was hidden in a boot in the back of his closet. Snatching up the velvet bag, she went to the glass doors that opened out onto the largest balcony. Quietly she unlatched the doors and opened them slightly. She pulled out a large raven's feather and a piece of string, and tied the feather to the latch.

Stepping outside, she started to close the doors when she heard footsteps coming down the hallway. She had wanted to relock the doors to add to the confusion, but if she stayed ant longer she would get caught.

She stepped on the balcony rail, grabbed the edge of the roof and swung her legs up. She rolled a little ways away from the edge just as the maid entered. The escape had to be timed just right.

The maid was humming as she moved around the room. When she went to open the heavy curtains at the windows, she gasped. She moved to the slightly open door and lifted the feather in her shaking hand.

"Oh, my…Guards!" dropping the feather she leaned over the rail to yell at the sleepy patrol below. "The Raven! The Raven is here! Search the grounds!" once the dogs were roused and the men began searching every inch of the property, the maid stepped back inside to wake her master.

_Now_. Raven quietly moved into a crouch. The first signs of sunrise peeked over the horizon. It wouldn't be long before her dark clothes become more of a hindrance than a help.

Trying to make as little noise as possible, the thief crept across the rooftop, aligning her body with the next roof. She would have to move fast.

She ran down the rooftop as fast as she could. At the edge, she leapt.

If any of the guards had seen, they would have been amazed. The distance she covered with that jump was beyond the abilities of most humans.

She landed hard on the next roof, but nothing felt broken so she kept running. She didn't stop until she reached the inn. Slipping through the window, she pulled off her mask and collapsed on the bed.

Nipwing stuck his head out of his hiding place, and then, crawling out, he jumped up on the bed and nuzzled Raven's shoulder. The girl lifted her arm, and as the dragon settled against her, absently stroked his scales.

She slept peacefully for a few hours, before a knock sounded at the door. Nipwing scurried off the bed and dove into the pile of bags.

Raven groaned quietly, rolled off the bed, and walked to the door. She cracked open the door to find a young girl standing outside.

"Th' mistress wan'ed t' know if yu'd wan' some breakfas'." The girl said, shyly tugging at her skirt.

"No, thank you. I have some food with me. But tell her I appreciate the offer." The child did a clumsy little curtsey and hurried off.

Raven closed the door and sleepily rubbed her eyes. The pile of leather in the corner shifted and made an odd noise.

Moving to the corner, she lifted open the saddle bag. Inside, Nipwing looked at his companion, mouth full with a small piece of meat hanging out.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, unmoving. Then, the blank look in Raven's eyes transformed to dagger glares, her lips tightened, and her cheeks began to turn red. The meat disappeared and the mass in the small mouth slid down the small throat.

"You are so dead!" Raven said coldly. "That was my breakfast for tomorrow. Now I have to go see Karlik." Nipwing tried to impress his remorse through their mental link but the girl only put up a wall, blocking any communication between them.

Rifling through her bags, she pulled out a simple dress and belt. She slipped the dress on over her thief clothes and buckled on the belt.

She dumped the contents of the velvet bag onto the bed and inspected her prize. The gems were fine indeed. Two were especially lovely. A ruby that was about an inch across and a yellow diamond that was only slightly larger. These she set aside for herself. As for the rest, she calculated their value and replaced them in a bag. She then strapped the bag against the inside of her lag with a strip of spare cloth. Only after this did she drop her mental wall.

"I'll be back tonight. If you do _anything_ other than sit _quietly_ in the bag, I will turn that scaly hide into a new pair of boots." With that, she adjusted her face to an expected morning cheeriness and walked out the door.

"Ah, there you are, dearie," the inn's mistress said as Raven entered the common room. "Did you sleep well?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Glad to hear it. We pride ourselves on our service here. Will you be wantin' a bath and supper again tonight?"

"Oh," Raven pulled out her money purse and looked inside. Three lonely copper coins sat at the bottom. "I think I'll skip the bath tonight and just have supper." She dug out two of the coins. "Your stew is delicious, by the way." The coins were pressed into the stout woman's hand.

"You should try the rack o' lamb. It's a mite more expensive, but its heavenly tender."

"Perhaps tomorrow night." The thief smiled and exited the inn.

For most of the morning, she wandered around the city that was closer to being called home than anywhere else in Alagaësia. She had started off on these streets, picking pockets and stealing from bread carts to survive

But she refused to linger on those memories. Those years had been hard and cruel.

When her stomach started to rumble, she made her way toward Karlik's shop.

Karlik was a rather ordinary man. He was of average height, had an average build, and an average, if not greedy, personality.

Because of his ordinariness, little attention was paid to him and he was able to sell all sorts of stolen goods in peace. All weren't stolen, of course, but a great many items were.

But that was not why Raven had chosen him as her regular buyer. Karlik had a fascinating secret talent. One that the thief had discovered while snooping around the shopping district one night.

Through his identification spells, Karlik was able to keep from being cheated. If a person tried to pass off a bit of cut glass as a diamond, the shrewd businessman's spell would show it for what it really was. His spells also countered basic illusion spells. Raven could fool him I she really wanted to, but that would be bad business.

He had never learned much else, but the identification spell, along with his business sense, was all he needed in his line of work.

"Good day, miss," the weasel said as she entered the shop, "How may I help you today?" That fake grin may seem friendly to a regular customer, but it was sickening to someone who knew the real man.

"Yes," she elevated the pitch of her voice slightly and grinned back, "I'm looking for a gift for my sister. She's getting married next month."

"Oh, congratulations!" he clapped his hands together joyously. Disgusting!

"Well, I have a lovely pearl necklace right over here." It was the same necklace she had sold him a year ago. _He's losing his touch_, she thought, _if it takes him this long to sell some pearls._

The shopkeeper showed her one item after another. With each item, she claimed it was too expensive, not something her "sister" would like, or just not right.

After a few minutes, a young couple walked in. Karlik nodded to tem and turned back to his current customer.

"Is it alright if I just browse?" she asked before he could show her another trinket.

"Of course. Let me know if you need any assistance." He made a slight bow and moved over to the couple.

Raven slowly made her way through the store, pausing here and there to examine an item. Once she was sure Karlik couldn't see her, she pulled a small raven's feather out from under her belt. She cast an illusion spell, transforming the feather into a small stone bird. After setting the bird on a shelf, the girl finished her lap around the store, making sure not to rush.

"I didn't find anything that was right for her," she said once she reached the shopkeeper, "but thank you for letting me look."

"You're most welcome, miss. Come back anytime." Again, that awful grin.

She exited the store and slipped down a side alley to the shop's back door. Here she took off the belt and dress, and put on her mask. She then untied the velvet jewel bag from her leg, folded the dress, belt and cloth strap together and set them to the side, out of sight.

Karlik knew every item in his shop by heart. Once he finds the stone bird, he will cast his identification spell, revealing the feather. Recognizing their signal, he'll temporarily close the shop and come out the back door to talk. She only had to wait a few minutes.

"Raven, I didn't expect you for another day, at least." The weasel glanced down the alley making sure no one was around, "How long have you been waiting?" He always asked this, probably trying to figure out which of his customers she was.

"Too long." She replied with her usual answer, lowering her voice just enough to sound different than her normal voice.

"When I heard about the theft this morning, I tried to scry you, but I only got some blond-haired girl giggling over some new beau. I was sure I had done something wrong." _Poor fool_, she thought, _he may have learned the words to scry but he didn't know the rules and limitations. He's gonna kill himself one of these days from overexerting himself._ Her master had drummed into her from the start the rules of magic use.

"This," she said as she pulled out a small amulet on a leather thong around her neck, "is a special amulet. Anyone who tries to scry me will instead view the giggly girl who has a matching amulet."

"Oh," Karlik seemed a little put out at not being trusted, "so why did you steal from that merchant last night? Did you fail at Urû'baen?"

"The Raven never fails." She knew to show a weakness around his lot was worse than jumping in a pit filled with starving wolves.

"Let me see the prize, then."

"I'm keeping _my_ prize,"

"What?!" Raven raised a gloved hand, signaling the businessman to keep his voice lowered. "We had a deal!"

"Yes, we did. But I've become attached. It's impossible for me to part with it now." Although now that she thought about it, she might have tried to merge the pieces back together as an egg. Oh, well. She couldn't do anything about it now.

"But what did you steal?"

"You'll find out soon enough. If I tell you now, with that slimy tongue of yours, you might let it slip." The man scoffed.

"You can trust me." Such obvious false sincerity.

"Yes, just like I can trust Galbatorix to pardon my crimes." Karlik snarled.

"Then why should I spread your great legend, hmmm?" he asked with a sarcastic tone. She tossed the bag of jewels to him, which he barely caught.

"You'll get a discount on those." He quickly opened the bag and spilled its contents into his hand. His face got the greedy look that always appeared when he saw a new treasure. He mumbled something and the jewels glowed for a moment.

"They're real enough." His face became one of the shrewd businessmen once more. "How much of a discount?"

"Thirty percent."

"Fifty percent," he countered

"Thirty."

"Forty."

"Thirty."

"Thirty-five."

"Thirty." Raven's eyes showed steely determination. Thirty percent off the purchase price and thirty percent added on to the selling price would still make him a large profit.

"Fine, thirty. Let me get the money." He walked back into the shop, coming out a minute later with a sack full of coins. They went through each jewel, figuring its value and calculating the thirty percent off the price. Karlik tried to cheat the thief a few times but she kept him in line.

Soon, the money was counted out, put in Raven's purse, and the two parted ways. Raven slipped on her normal clothes again and left the alley.

She continued to wander around the city, eventually coming across a row of food shops. She stepped into a bakery first. After buying some rolls for breakfast and some hard bread for traveling, she moved on to a cheese shop. She moved down the row buying a small supply of food to replace what Nipwing had eaten. When she reached the butcher shop, she took her time picking out some tasty meat. Finally, she bought a juicy-looking half rack of ribs for herself and a cheap block of regular meat for the ball of mischief. He had gotten most of her good food already; why should she buy him some good meat now?

She returned to her room at the inn a couple of hours before sunset. Before doing anything else she went to the pile of packs in the corner and lifted the flap of the saddlebag. Nipwing lay with his head on his claws. His eyes looked up at her with sadness lined with boredom.

"Look, I'm sorry for getting so mad at you this morning, but if you keep eating my food like this you're gonna cost me a fortune!" the golden eyes fell to the floor. Raven sighed.

"We're only gonna stay here a few more days then we'll move on and you can hunt all you want while we travel." Nipwing lifted his head slightly to look at the girl, and then dropped his head. Raven sat down next to the pile and was silent for a moment before continuing.

"As a thief, I don't like surprises. They cause too many problems. And you are a bundle of surprises," a small whine escaped the dragon's throat, "but I would bet my life that if we work together we can get through any problem thrown at us." Nipwing raised his head and gave a half-hearted chirp.

"Here, I've got something for you." She grabbed the hunk of meat she had bought for the dragon and unwrapped it under his nose. He let out a squeak and took as big a bite as possible.

"Don't eat it all at once! This has to last for the rest of our stay here," she slipped the package and the rest of the food into the saddlebag, "if you finish it all tonight, don't come crying to me tomorrow." She briefly petted the scaled head, and then headed downstairs for supper.

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Well, how'd you like it? Review to tell me what you think! Don't expect chapter 5 too soon. Its turned out harder to write than I thought. But I'll try to finish as soon as possible!


	5. Revenge at Last

Voila! Chapter 5!

I do not own Eragon or anything from the books.

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So much had happened since Eragon had faced off against Murtagh, Rider versus Rider. The Varden had won the battle and were now slowly moving up through Alagaësia toward Urû-baen and Galbatorix. Soon after the victory, Eragon had removed the curse he had accidentally placed on Elva. To make up for the trouble he had given her, he had even replaced the curse with the blessing he had intended to give.

Now he and Roran were nearing Helgrind. Together they would save Katrina and finally avenge Garrow's death.

Riding Saphira, they had quickly covered the distance to the Ra'zac stronghold. Now as the tall stone spires came into view, the dragon glided to the ground.

"What are we doing?" Roran demanded, "The Ra'zac are right there! We're so close!"

"We're going to wait until dark so they don't see us coming."

"Fine." Roran didn't admit it but he realized that his impatience to save Katrina could have cost him and his cousin their lives. Scolding himself, he silently promised not to make any more stupid mistakes

The three of them settled down and waited for nightfall.

When the sky was black the men mounted the dragon. Luckily, the sky was cloudy and the moon was a little more than a sliver.

Saphira flew the young men closer, trying to be as silent as possible.

Suddenly, a horrible screech filled the air. A large, dark shape pulled away from the spires of Helgrind.

"No! Now we have to fight them in midair," Eragon cursed, "Hurry, Saphira!"

Another screech tore through the night air as the Ra'zac mount noticed the dragon closing in. Saphira roared in reply and reached out with her claws to tear at the evil creature.

Without warning Roran leapt from Saphira's back, landing on the mount that had yet to take off. His hammer came down with a loud thud on the beast's head, making it unsteady. He immediately smashed its neck with hefty blows.

"Foolish," the Ra'zac nearby hissed. Under the creature's stare, Roran's limbs began to feel stiff. But his anger and hatred wouldn't allow him to halt.

With an empowered scream, he rushed at the Ra'zac, raising his hammer for a death stroke.

Not far above, Saphira snapped at the mount she grappled with, tearing a chunk out of its shoulder.

The battle went on for several hours, neither side gaining any real advantage. Eragon sent few spells at the Ra'zac, saving as much of his energy as possible.

Finally, by some manner of luck, Saphira was able to grab the Ra'zac from the mount's back. She wasted no time in tearing the monster in two. Black blood rained upon the ground below. The mount, realizing its defeat, tore itself from the battle, but not before receiving several more wounds from Dragon and Rider.

"_No," _Eragon told Saphira as she moved to give chase, _"we need to help Roran." _The blue-scaled dragon landed behind the remaining Ra'zac. Seeing the trap it was in, the dark creature hissed and backed toward the stone wall.

"It's over!"

"Not yet." The Ra'zac lunged at Roran, the terrible beak-like mouth exposed and ready to devour his flesh. When it was within arm's reach, Roran's hammer swung up under its jaw, throwing the creature backwards. With his already bloody hammer, Roran pounded the Ra'zac's skull, continuing even after blood began to leak out.

"Roran, Roran!" Eragon placed a hand on his cousin's shoulder, bringing him out of his manic trance. "It's dead." Roran looked up at Eragon, small black droplets clinging to his face. "We have to save Katrina now."

"Katrina," Roran whispered. Before Eragon could do anything, his cousin took off toward an opening into Helgrind.

The first chamber was large enough to fit Saphira 5 times over. The young Rider imagined the Ra'zac mounts living here, eating their victims whole. The doorway out of this chamber was large but still too small for Saphira to fit through.

"We'll be back soon," Eragon reassured his Dragon before chasing after his cousin, who had already rushed headlong into the heart of the menacing structure.

Helgrind was separated into a number of chambers, apparently natural, which were connected by winding tunnels. Once Eragon caught up with Roran, the two of them wandered down through the stone structure, looking into every room they passed. Bones were strewn across the floors of several of them.

Finally, deep within the dark structure, they come upon a series of locked doors. Roran swung his hammer, splintering the nearest door. Another strong blow and a large chunk of wood broke off.

"Katrina?" He looked inside only to find it empty. The next few were empty as well. Roran broke through another door to find a figure huddling in the corner.

"Katrina?" The figure stirred and turned toward the door.

"Roran? Roran, my boy!" Sloan rushed to the door as quickly as his weakened body would allow. "Thank the fates you've come!" The butcher's voice was hoarse and scratchy. "Let me out of here before those _things_ come back."

"You betrayed out trust and let your own daughter get taken by monsters. Why should I let you free?"

"Please, Roran," he pleaded, not even trying to mask his guilt, "I was foolish, I realize that now."

"Where is Katrina?"

"I don't know. She must be near, I've heard her crying."

"If she is hurt…"

"Roran!" While his cousin had been interrogating the butcher, Eragon had continued the search, breaking the locks with magic. One door down and across the passageway from Sloan's cell he had found Katrina.

Shoving the door aside, Roran hurried to his love's side. She , like her father, was weak and pale, but alive. He held her in his arms, the world around him vanishing.

"Roran?" she looked up with weary eyes. Oh, to hear her voice again was like a glass of water in the desert. She reached up slowly until her fingers brushed his beard.

"I knew you would come." Her voice was dry and scratchy. She was lifted easily into Roran's strong arms. His eyes never left her face as he carried her out.

Realizing Roran was temporarily oblivious to the world, the Rider released the traitorous butcher himself.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!" Sloan crawled out of his prison, squinting at his savior. "Eragon? Is that you?"

"I've learned a lot since I left," he nodded, "So don't try anything." He slipped the man's arm over his shoulder and guided him out. Before his transformation in Ellesmèra, Eragon would have collapsed under the weight. Now, though, he could carry Sloan like Roran was carrying Katrina; the only thing stopping him was the awkwardness of the idea.

The butcher's eyes darted everywhere, searching for the monstrous captors. When they reached the outer chamber, the weakened man cried out in fright at the sight of the large dragon. His cry echoed against the stone, making him flinch. Saphira craned her neck down until it was even with the butcher's. A small growl rumbled in her throat, almost as if she remembered the man from before she hatched. Sloan shrunk back as far as he could. Eragon gave her an annoyed look and she backed off.

"Take Roran and Katrina first." She lay down as flat as possible so that the still hypnotized couple could mount easier.

When all five of them were on the ground, Eragon suggested that they rest in Dras-Leona before returning to the Varden. As the sun began to peek over the horizon, the group neared the city.

"_Eragon,_" Saphria called. The rider turned to the dragon. "_You shouldn't enter the city._"

"_Why not?_"

"_Do you not remember the last time we were here? You and Brom were nearly captured._" A pang of sadness stabbed the boy's heart when he remembered the old Rider.

"_But the guards were no threat, the Ra'zac were. And they're gone now. We'll be fine,_" he reassured her. While Saphira kept out of sight as best she could, the four humans entered through the now open gates. They stopped at the first decent inn they came across and stepped inside. The innkeeper stood behind the bar wiping it down with an old rag.

"Excuse me, madam. We could use some rooms."

"Dear me!" she exclaimed, "I should say you do!" She pulled out a slate and examined the chalk marks on it. "I'm so sorry dears. We're full up. You can wait to see if anyone's leavin' or I can recommend a nice place nearby that'll take you."

"Mornin' dear," the woman called over Eragon's shoulder before he could answer. He turned to see a young woman in a simple dress come down the stairs. She had a new-looking set of saddlebags over one shoulder, another, more worn, in her hand and a sack slung over the other shoulder. Was it his imagination, or did the newer bag move?

"Looks like you've been shoppin'. That's a nice saddlebag you bought. I guess you'll be leavin', then?"

"Yes. My business is done and my master will want me back soon." The young woman smiled sweetly.

"Well, be sure to come back next time you're in town."

"Thank you." Eragon noticed that she didn't say "I will." There was something about her, but before he could figure out what, the innkeeper spoke.

"Looks like we've got an opening. The room's 4 coppers a night." The Rider pulled out a silver piece and laid it on the bar.

"We'll need supper as well." They were shown up to their room and Eragon set to work tending the newly liberated father and daughter.

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Sorry this took so long. My computer was on the fritz for awhile. Hope you enjoyed it. And don't forget to review.


	6. A message from the author

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my readers, especially those who have submitted reviews. I appriciate the feedback you have given. I have taken your critiques to heart and, if you haven't noticed already, I went back and changed a few things. Hopefully it is better now.

I would also like to ask your patience for the next few months. This isn't the only fanfic I'm writing(not to mention the books I'm trying to write) and I will be busy for several months. I will try my best to finish another chapter as soon as I can, but I can't make any promises. Just bear with me. I won't forget my loyal readers.

Thank you!


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